Wednesday, March 2, 2011

It's hard to figure the chances for such revolutionary legislation without lining up the usual heavyweight special interests — here the Bar Association, Trial Lawyers and corporate interests that have most to win and lose in court, not to mention minority interests — but Sen. Michael Lamoureux is a serious and competent legislator. So who knows?

What am I talking about?

He's filed a bill to provide for merit selection of state Court of Appeals judges. Voters would have to approve the General Assembly setting up such a system. The General Assembly would define the specifics. The 12 judges are now elected from districts. One judge is black. A federal court ruling and the continuing interest of the NAACP in black representation on the bench are likely factors in a discussion of this proposed change.

UPDATE: I dropped a note to Lamoureux. He said he'd like to include the Supreme Court someday, too. He said he hadn't enlisted anyone in the effort, that this was just a starting place.

KARK reports that one person was killed in a shooting about 10:40 p.m. Sunday near 21st and Oak Streets.

Additional pleadings have been filed in the citizen's lawsuit challenging the new Arkansas voter ID law that includes evidence the new law resulted in votes in a recent special election in Russellville not being counted.

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John Goodson — the Texarkana attorney, D.C. lobbyist, and husband of Arkansas State Supreme Court Justice Courtney Goodson — was reprimanded today by a federal judge for his conduct in a class-action case.

KARK/Fox 16's push to do something about Little Rock violence includes a spotlight on people trying to make a difference — in this episode Antwan Phillips, a lawyer at Wright, Lindsey and Jennings.

40/29 TV reports that two law officers were shot about 7 a.m. today near Hackett in Sebastian County and at mid-afternoon came word that one of them had died. Later in the day a suspect was taken into custody in the shooting.

by Max Brantley

Aug 10, 2016

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A federal prosecutor in Missouri said Friday that a former legislator, Henry Wilkins IV of Pine Bluff, had said he'd received $100,000 in bribes as a state legislator from indicted former lobbyist Rusty Cranford. He was not alone on an illicit dole.

On Wednesday, both chambers of the Arkansas legislature approved identical versions of a bill to regulate pharmacy benefit managers, the powerful health care companies at the center of a dispute over cuts in reimbursements paid to pharmacists.

We learned today of the death of a long-time Arkansas Blog friend, Richard Boosey Jr. of Mount Vermpn/

A federal prosecutor in Missouri said Friday that a former legislator, Henry Wilkins IV of Pine Bluff, had said he'd received $100,000 in bribes as a state legislator from indicted former lobbyist Rusty Cranford. He was not alone on an illicit dole.